Over the years, I’ve talked to a number of clients who wish they had a few more hours in their day. Finding “extra” time in your day is a lot like doing a household budget – once you know what’s taking up your time, you can decide what to trim to get some of it back.

Here are five key areas where we often lose time unnecessarily, as well as guidance about how to get some of it back:

1. Correspondence – email, IM and snail mail can usurp inordinate amounts of time every day, if you’re not careful. To fight this “time vampire,” choose a block of time to dedicate to these activities and don’t allow yourself to get sucked into peeking, or responding to “just a quick one,” at other times of day. Be ready to “get medieval” on those that are labeled “urgent.” When processing mail (electronic or otherwise), set a timer for two minutes – when the timer goes off, either put it on your to-do list or know that you’re done dealing with that item.

2. Errands – if it’s not the kids’ soccer practice, it’s the dry cleaning. In addition to that, you’ve got to get to the ATM, fill up the car and shop for dinner. But if you don’t plan well, you could drive back and forth across town four times before you even set foot into a grocery store! Two ways to alleviate this struggle:

Cluster your errands – plan your trip so that all your destinations are near one-another. Maybe there’s a gas station near the grocery store. If you need to stop at an out-of-the way store, maybe your bank has a branch nearby as well.

Get help managing your errands – if your spouse is driving by the dry cleaner on the way home, ask him to make a stop. Either way, you’ll save time and gas.

3. Mindless Entertainment – it’s not called “the boob tube” for nothing! Although both television and your computer can be “educational resources,” all too often, we find ourselves sitting mindlessly in front of them. When we need to unwind, we power up one of the two. Before we know it, the evening’s spent.

The secret to avoiding this pattern is in choosing it as an activity. Though it may seem awkward at first, it’s usually better to schedule this downtime. Record your favorite shows and watch them later. When your program is over, move on. Not only does this help reduce the tendency to surf endlessly, you will actually be able to enjoy more programming in less time (did you realize that almost one third of each broadcast hour is dedicated to commercials?).

4. Commuting – millions of people ride, drive or otherwise transport themselves to their workplaces daily. By their own admission, commuters will tell you that, if they could get that time back, they would earn back hours of their day and transform the quality of their lives. For many, working from home just isn’t an option.

What is possible is to use the transit time to serve another goal. For instance:

Do you wish you could find the time to read the bestseller you bought months ago? Get audio books the car.

Do you find there just isn’t enough time in the day to respond to email or phone calls? Answer email on the train.

Long for some quality time with your best galpal but just can’t schedule a lunch? Schedule a phone date, and chat all the way to work. Forwarding another goal during this “lost” commuting time can increase your quality of life. Besides, who couldn’t stand a few more hours in their day?

5. Meals – without a plan, odds are you either won’t eat regularly or nutritiously. Organization is key, when it comes to streamlining meal planning, prep and production. Create a well-oiled machine: set aside some time each week to create a meal calendar, and make your grocery list from this menu. No “three different meals for my finicky little eaters” either. “The Chef” prepares the meal listed on the calendar, and then the kitchen is closed!

With a little planning, you’ll not only feed your family more nutritiously, you’ll probably save money as well as you cut down on impulse buys and take-out. And one additional bonus: you’ll never again utter the dreaded, “What am I going to make for dinner tonight?”